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My Dear Miss Taft.-

I had intended to write a few days ago & tell you we have had more snow & rain. Also the bay is all frozen over. But is very apt to break up any time, as the ice nover stays long when it freezens so late in the winter.

I hope we have no more real warm weather for a while as that week of sunshine brought the sweet cherry buds out farther than we care to have them. It would not take many more warm days until they would burst out green. All the cherries are well loaded with buds this Spring.

I have heard that Mr. Geo. Lardie & Mr. Burkhardt are both going to build [their own] canning factorys. As they could not agree as one was afraid they could not trust the other. I don't know how much there is in it. As we don't take any T.C. paper. All we hear is neighbor hood gossip.

Mr. [Lang] has no tractor at all. But has 2 nice teams or at least he did have.

Jos. went in to T. C. yesterday & got your fertilizer & Bran. Instead of driving [Jerry] over the slippery roads barefooted he had Horace Christopher set his shoes & it only cost you .60 cents he doe's not make a real busiess of it for every one. But has every thing to do with & does good work. So Jos. hit him up to help us out for once. He does all of his own work too.

[Jos.] just came in & told me that the milling co. did not have the fertilizer but that P. K. had what you had ordered of him so he got that & the bran you ordered of the milling co. He also got those straps for the harness & paid $3.00 for them & tonight we got some through the mail that you must have ordered. I hope he can return the ones he bought in town as he didn't know you had ordered any.

The children received the papers tonight & are enjoying them so much that I can't get them started for bed. They wish to have me thank you for them. I wrote you a leter this morning & after Jos. came in & the mail came I had to change it some what. But will send what I had all ready written.

I had dinner with the [Eiman's] and Mr. Will Gray came along & stayed there most all afternoon & the conversation was mostly about cherries. He said that it was possible that there [were] was going to be a better price paid for charries as 3 different parties wanted to build 3 new cannng factories He also said that even if they [would] build one he would be satisfied.

The weather has moderated & I think it will rai before morning if it continues to warm up.

Well I can't think or anything more tow rite about at present. so must get my girl to bed As ever Essie

3/ I don't know what Haywoods are going to do with that oldest boy he is a dreadful child. Sun Mr. Hamilton the teacher was here & talked to us also saw Mr. Haywood. The teacher is afraid Oral is going to have a bad influence over Roger. As he draws him away from his work. i feel like flying away & taking my dear little children away from here. We dare not let Hazel come from school alone any more for fear he might murder her. He acts funny [and] queer of late & is very apt to do anything. His parents [all] are all most sick the more they whip & talk to him the worse he gets. And he dirties his clothes like a tiny baby does both most of the time. It sure is a pity to have such childen in the community. As they are ibkt a menace to the others.

4/ I should not write such things to you. But feel as tho' I must unburden myself to some one. If that child lays a hand on Roger or Hazel again I will do something violent. And I know I could not help myself. Mr. Hamilton says we should not have him or the rest around our little ones in their physical condition as well as they are mentally unfit. Oral is 16 yrs old not & should be a nice boy & help his parents.

Jos. did not take hay to town so had to pay an extra .25. He also got some straps for the harness.

   5.55  on hand				3.00
     .60  Jerry's shoe setting			   60
   3.00  for straps				   50
     .50  for barn rent & hay			   30
     .30  for Jos. dinner			_____
_________________			4.40
$  1.15  on hand Feb. 24 th 1925.

With Love Essie 5.50 4.40 _____ $ 1.15